Brooklyn Man Sues NYPD, Claims He Was Arrested Out of Jealousy

Josue Pierre-Louis' lawsuit reinforces the belief that some police officers use their badges to compensate for low self esteem. The 24-year-old Brooklyn native claims he was driving to a friend's house in late February when he was stopped for no reason in Brownsville. After Det. Frank Sarrica asked him for his license and registration, Louis claims a woman made an Eartha Kitt-esque, "cat-like, hissing sound" directed at him. Apparently, she's attracted to men about to be arrested.

Pierre-Louis says the jealous Sarrica used him to take out his jealousy. "She makes this catcall sound, and [Sarrica] steps away from my vehicle, and he goes towards her with open arms, like he’s going to get her number. And she says, 'Ha! Not you. The driver,'" he told the New York Post. The other cops were laughing at him; it was high school all over again. That's when he allegedly directed his anger at Pierre-Louis. "He was like, 'You think that’s funny?' And he starts grabbing my clothing," he said. He was arrested and spent 48 hours in Brooklyn central booking.

The suit claims that Sarrica and his partner assaulted Pierre-Louis, yanked him out of his vehicle and placed "excessively tight" handcuffs on him. His charges—failing to signal, resisting arrest, assault, obstructing governmental administration and marijuana possession—have been adjourned in contemplation of dismissal. Louis-Pierre says he still doesn't even know why he was stopped.